"He broke my heart 100 times, if not more. And he broke it again when he retired."

An unlikely star appeared onstage at the ESPY Awards to present Derek Jeter with the Icon award.

"Hi, I'm Ben Affleck. I'm from Boston," the actor-director said. "If you're from Boston you always wanted to hate our next honoree. There was something about him that made the boos ring a little hollow. Maybe it was his inimitable class, maybe it was that he won with dignity and lost with grace. Maybe it was simply that we knew no matter what, he was a winner regardless."

The lifelong Yankee and shortstop known as The Captain, retired last season after a 20-year career.

"Boston fans can be many things," Affleck continued, "but we know baseball and we respect those that play the game the way it was meant to be played. He broke my heart 100 times, if not more. And he broke it again when he retired. Because he was absolutely one of the very best ever to play the game of baseball. So to you Derek Jeter, I tip my hat, and I thank you for event last moment of your incredible career. You made the game better for everyone."

Jeter, who, in retirement, has started the athlete-authored website The Players Tribune, remained gracious in his acceptance.

"I just told Ben, I know it pained him to say every one of those words, so thank you very much."